Unloading device



UNLOADING DEVICE /ld f/QLOZ Th @if Atborrw e s l o t n Q v. M

Filed April 6, 1949 @ooooooooo L. F. MCDONALD ETAL Char es J. GT- ce wwwm a n o F. e c n e v w Jan, 2, 1951 atented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED UNLOADNGDEVICE Lawrence F. McDonald, East Greenbush, and Charles J. Grace,Slingerlands, N. Y.

Application April 6, 1949, Serial No. 85,814

S Claims.

This invention relates to an auxiliary unloading device adapted to beused in conjunction with an industrial fork-lift truck for the purposeof unloading freight cars containing unit loads in which a block orblocks of goods, or containers are fastened together by the use of flatsteel or round Wire strapping, or by the use of non-setting palletizingglue placed between the containers.

Heretofore, it has' been customary to place such loads on conventionaltype pallets. One such pallet is the well-known hard wood pallet inwhich cross boards are fastened to the narrow edges of spaced-apartstringers, to provide a raised platform, whereby the fork of a truck canreadily pass thereunder to pick up the load together with the pallet.Another type of pallet, perhaps not so well known, is the so-calledexpendable pallet consisting of a sheet of heavy corrugated board towhich built-up legs of corrugated board, or other materials, are securedto maintain the same in elevated position, so that the fork of a truckcan pass thereunder to pick up the load and the pallet. The use of lifttrucks and hard wood pallets has produced tremendous savings in thehandling of merchandise within an industrial plant or warehouse, but ithas not generally been possible to extend these savings to the shipmentof goods in freight cars, nor has the use of expendable pallets solvedthe problem for the following reasons:

-1 Hard wood pallets are too expensive to risk loss in'transit andreturn;

2. The freight rate on such pallets `is the same as goods they carry; K

3. The return freight is excessive because the pallets carry a highrate;

4. Expendable pallets are also relatively expensive; and

5. Expendable pallets break down too often in transit, and create ahazard by tending to topple when piled upon each other.

However, another type of pallet, which We f' have invented havinglifting handles projecting application Serial number 85,815 filed April6, 1949 by us concurrently herewith.

A principal object of the invention is the provision of an auxiliaryunloading device adapted to be used in conjunction with a fork-lifttruck, whereby unit loads can be shipped in freight cars without the useof conventional hard wood or expendable pallets.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an auxiliaryunloading device for fork-lift trucks for unloading goods'supported on anovel type of sheet pallet provided with lifting handles along amarginal edge thereof. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device especiallyadapted for unloading goods resting directly on the floor of the car, aswell as for unloading stacked goods, in which such pallets as thoseabove described have been utilized. 1

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a devicecomprising right and left unloading brackets, adapted easily and readilyto be moved into unloading position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a device forunloading freight cars by means of a fork-lift truck, wherein the devicecan be picked up by the fork of the truck and placed in position forunloading purposes.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse elevational view taken along the line 1-1 of Fig.4;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the device, looking toward theYright hand bracket, as having been picked up and placed in unloadingposition by a fork-lift truck, partially shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational View of the device, similar to that shownin Fig. 3, illustrating an initial step of an unloading operation;

Fig, 6 is a perspective view of an adjustable supporting elementattached to the top of a fragment of a vertical bracket member;

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of a modied form of the invention; and

Fig. 8 is a front elevational View of Fig. 7.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, a vertical bracket isindicated generally at I, as in Fig. 1. This View shows only the leftbracket on the left side of the device and since the various partsarethesame. as the right bracket, similar numerals .will be applied tosimilarlparts in the various views.

A vertical brace II, preferably of channel iron construction, issupported in position bystruts I 2 and I3 secured in any suitable mannerto a bed plate IIS along one marginaldge thereof. A reinforcing plate Iis secured across the. bottom of the vertical brace II, the struts. I2andI3, and the bed plate I4. The plate YI5 is further reinforced bygussets I6 connected to the plate. Id.

Along the opposite side of the bed plate, is a ,similar JbracketLsecured in the same mannen "Btl'Y brackets are spaccd'apartilnparalle'l relatjon a, distancisucient to permit a fork-lift,truck'topass therebetween. Y I 4ie". brutally-recu ed mechanism isindicated .sedere at Il cre y'irle; rhefeedulare f d Thelmecearisrrrreeralclrraerisesapair 1f-.troughs I8.u 'These troughs aresligh'tlyewider than the ric-at. darme-.Wheels ca rerlrrut truck anderese racee'd that they are ciu alignment ,with die e@'.Twglsfle'lied.asjdpafcdlmat' 12e alihduehdewll Ice understcudthatplaies instead of troughs canllalso ipe used. In factj a .s iuele.plate, er. single itreueh, extending lcetWeen the brackets @iscontemplated. each.-.troughs suupecediripart by fr erlt and r.e a1;l 1u1s t9 .aud @d civctally mcurreed en, pins r2.' secured ie the c.sidesAufthe trough, and te pivot studs 22 secured to the bottom of the bed.plaie ld- Eachrircuehis .held rrraisedrestiea ley recalca 0f .spring,23 secured thereto VV and t0 the Strut 3- :Elaeurrcueh .is limitedirlits upward movementby A,stops d and A secured te the struts t2 413respectively- Q1 t1iel raee s -li l.are lewerard upper stop members .252.l reseeetively- Each .upper member 52.7 .is Medically adjustable py efa Screw 01 P11112? whielr-cecperates with enenames in thechanuels- The19u/ er step meuber preferably isseeuredinresitien .althaueih itmay als?@amada diustalcle 'fdesiled `;I r1 f, act,. one sicu member carl be.utilized .to 4 perform zthe .f uaciels 0f .beth -rceurleers since theycannot y le eideelatedai:thesameftirue as willaaeearhere- .iuarce1- 'Thestop members preferably l,are beveled as ,ai darte support leads ,irlarrinclined position @Weed ide-device iu Operation.

When itcisdesired tuluulcad erreicht car, the

.derlei-.3G 0f dr'truckcan be passed underneath the troughsv and theentire unloading de igice piclscd up aud carried te .a .residen in,fread 0f the load Which it is desired tounloadlfrrm the car, asiadicacedin'rievUF,dereaf,ter# the truck is run uperl che treueh'rreehauisrfu Viaud .the `Weight df the 'ascribe' mechadsrrlteccllauseihac 'i e l, ofighs I8 .willcoineltorestcn the bot- "trn'cthe'bed plate Il? against the action foi the spring 23. Thetruckis thenadvancedfalong the ,troughs yto a lposition indicated, `fork example,'in Eig'ffwhere the unloadi.n?,r ,0i 'stacked good- S 'is shown. The.weghtpf the .truck ywill .firmly .l1-Qld 1,13 device-ifi .braeedaridreid lregsition,

"sufficient to` clear. theft/opsl of the vertical1 V To unload stackedgoods, the fork 30 is raised so that the edges thereof, which aresuitably notched or creased, will engage the wire handle, or loop 3I, ofthe pallet 32 and raise the same to inclined position. The load is thenpulled forward by moving the truck rearwardly, and permitted to come torest on the inclined surface 2d of the supporting elements 2'I.Thereafter, the fork of the truck is lowered and then Aadvanced until,it passes Ila sufficient distance raised and to elevate the pallet andload to a desired position above the vertical brace II so that the truckcan be backed awa57 and the load deposited elsewhere.

is soonlasithetruck has left the troughs I8, ,thejnechanism Il will beretracted to normal position by the spring 23, and ready to be picked upby theforkcf the truck to be moved elsewhere .if desired VAl-lcvvev'er,if the operator wants to move the load supported, directly onhe door iof,the.ca1', 'dre truck sheud reirrau "in .ce r1;

above described operation repeatedrby picki the bottom load andraislngif. pp; an inf-'curled residen ce irre 'battere.' sueccrtee eleraeuts'Thereafter; the `,fork l`of the `truck Avvisipass derneath the load.Vraised to anjelevated p o weight material such as aluminum ormagnesium.

l -f ln use,`each bracket 17s 4Iplaced Iin position stacked load; or*singI upon theficonsoth Withers frcntaheels... M E in orderfthatthewcight' of truck .wll'lhold .each braekeun rielesadddredesidce!'Thereafter, thesaine nloading opration abpv ,de seribedcaubecarriededtEach bed plat'e`35, described. inconnection with iFiss raad dsleeuldauleast ledurvaeciltefthe length of thork plusv the distan'ezttliexcenter ofthe front wheel.

l It Iwill thus b'eseen that,theiobjectshere befere set-fcreh :may.readirad tained, and since certain changes y4b Imade ie ,the alecreEecus'rrucialea .-acdfdrder-.erri eerrrbadi- .es cr"` dre creati-er1eduld ae adecue departing-'from the scopether that :all mattericontairred' i tion orshownzinthe acccmp l l be interpreted as lldstetivf. e sense.r` W v It is also te .be uadcrstced that the falle' irreclaims are"intended fQc'ove'r all-C id? u A' decafeailfea aad' allstaten raser @escupe v cf inem/entice which, asa ,rea-tier er language,might be salato fall therebetweerliariue .-describedeur inverltlen whatclaim as new arldfdesirede securebyaetters Patent is: l. en auxiliaryded/ceder truce..

adapted for use in unloading freight cars by removing a load of goodsfrom the floor thereof, or by removing a load stacked upon a loadresting on the floor, and wherein said goods are supported on a pallethaving a lifting handle connected thereto along a marginal edge thereofadapted to be engaged by the fork of the truck; which comprisessubstantially vertical means adapted to be disposed adjacent each sideof the truck and directly in front of said goods in spaced relationthereto; a base member connected to the bottom of said means in linewith the wheels of the truck, and adapted to support the Weight thereof;and load-supporting elements connected to said means and projectingtherefrom toward said load; whereby the truck can be advanced so thatits front wheels rest on the base members to enable the fork to raisethe load, by said handles, temporarily to an inclined position on saidelements, and thereafter to permit the fork to pick up the load bypassing underneath said pallet and load supported thereon.

2. A device of the character defined in claim 1, and wherein said meanscomprises right and left bracket members adapted to be disposed adjacentthe right and left side of said truck.

3. A device of the character defined in claim l, and wherein said basemember comprises a bed plate which is of a length at least equivalent tothe length of the fork plus the distance to the center of the frontwheels of the truck.

4. A device of the character defined in claim l, and wherein saidsupporting elements are vertically adjustable.

5. In an auxiliary device for a fork-lift truck, adapted for use inunloading freight cars by removing a load of goods from the floorthereof, or by removing a load stacked upon a load resting on the floor,and wherein said goods are supported on a pallet having a lifting handleconnected thereto along a marginal edge thereof adapted to be engaged bythe fork of the truck; comprising substantially vertical unloading meansspaced apart to accommodate a fork-lift truck therebetween, said meansbeing connected by a base member; and a pivotally mounted retractablemechanism normally overlying said base member in spaced relationthereto; whereby the fork of said truck can be inserted underneath saidmechanism so that the entire device can be lifted and placed inunloading position, and said mechanism being adapted to accommodate thewheels of said truck and to come to rest on said base member because ofthe weight of the truck as the latter is moved to unloading positionthereon.

6. A device of the character defined in claim 5, and wherein saidmechanism comprises a springretracted platform held in spaced relationover said base member.

'7. A device of the character dened in claim 5, and wherein saidmechanism is supported in spaced relation above said base member byoppositely disposed links pivotally connected thereto and to said basemember.

8. A device of the character defined in claim 5, and wherein saidmechanism comprises a pair of oppositely-disposed troughs, each of whichis spring-retracted to hold it in raised position, and each of Which hassupporting links pivotally connected to the front and rear ends thereofand to the base member.

LAWRENCE F. MCDONALD. CHARLES J. GRACE.

No references cited.

